Blame
by Tina02
Summary: After a fight with Tommy, Tina goes to make amends. When the worst happens, how will those around her react? More importantly, How will Tommy feel? Rubbish Summary, but please give it a try. R&R. First fic, so please, go easy on me;)
1. Chapter 1

'Tommy, please, just go. I'm done. We're done. I can't, I can't even look at you right now. Go, please. Well? Didn't you hear me? I said go!'  
The door slammed, footsteps fading away. She sighed, silent tears sliding down her face.  
'Wait. Wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.' She whispered in to the empty flat. 'I didn't mean that.' Suddenly, she grabbed her jacket, slipped on her shoes and ran out her flat.

Looking around, she went passed The Kabin towards the Rovers Return Inn, long since shut for the night. Looking down the alley behind the pub, she wondered whether to chance it. She never liked going through alleyways alone in the day, let alone the middle of the night. She looked at her phone, 11:58. It would take another hour to get to Tommy's if she went by the main roads, but only 15 minutes through the back-alleys. Gingerly she took a step towards it, apprehension clear on her face. She flinched, turning around, sure that someone was there. She shook her head, scolding herself at being stupid.  
She walked for a few minutes, cursing the council for not keeping the street lamps in good condition. Using her phone as a torch, she stumbled over the cobbles catching herself on the wall. Again, she had the feeling someone was behind her. 'Hello? Is anyone there?' Lingering for a few moments, she peered into the darkness. Her phone beeped, 'low battery' flashing up at her. 'Damnit. Had to die now of all times.' She turned back and started walking again, when a hand covered her mouth.

**A/N: This is my first fic, so please go easy on me. I felt that there weren't enough stories about other characters, so decided to give this one a go. Reviews appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know they're a bit short, but I figured that until there was a few more reviews etc I would keep length down. I don't want to be writing and find no-one wants to read it. The next few chapters should hopefully be longer. Also, I figured I should put a warning on here: if sexual violence offends you, then discontinue reading. It's rated M for a reason. **

'Scream and I will kill you.' He whispered, before shoving her face into the wall and turning her to face him. She yelped as her back made contact with the rough bricks. He roughly pulled at her shirt, ripping the buttons off, some hanging by a thread. He pinned her with his legs either side of her, a hand grasping her wrists viciously. He grabbed at her breasts whilst placing a bruising kiss on her lips. He took advantage of her yelp as he deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth.  
He released her breast, trailing his hand down her stomach before resting on her hip. He unzipped his trousers before dropping his pants. He tugged at her skirt and tights.  
'Don't, please, please don't do this.' She cried, 'I won't tell anyone, I swear!'  
'Beg.'  
She choked back the lump forming in her throat, 'please, I'm begging you, please don't do this. Please, I'll do anything, please don't hurt me.'  
'Not good enough.' He whispered, before yanking down her underwear and thrusting himself into her. Her strangled scream was drowned out by another bruising kiss, firmly planted on her lips.  
When he was finished, he stroked her cheek, before zipping his trousers back up. He looked down at her, a flicker of guilt flashed upon his face, before being replaced with a cold, glare. 'You'll never forget me now, you'll try, but I'll always be the man you see, the man you hear. Around every corner, behind every door,' he whispered. 'I'll see you around, _sweetheart_.' The last word dripped venomously off his tongue. He turned, and stalked off leaving her alone, in a heap on the ground.

**A/N: As always, R&R**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry, another short one - don't be mad! Probably shouldn't have started the fic until I had the time, but, oh well;) Please R&R**

She lay crumpled on the ground, tears streaked her face. Slowly she pulled her clothes back on, wincing at the pain between her legs. She stood slowly, pain shooting through her body, nearly sending her back to the ground. She gripped the wall, fearing that if she let go, she would fall. She felt numb, her brain swirling, black dots in front of her vision. As she struggled to calm her breathing, she tensed, frozen into place by a sound close by. When she realised it was just rubbish being dragged by the wind, she slid back down the wall. She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding as the tears she had been fighting cascaded down. Holding her shirt together, she tugged at her skirt, realising it was a lot shorter than she wanted at that moment in time. She left her tights on the ground. They were too ripped to even try and salvage, nor did she particularly want to.  
She felt about for her phone, picking it up. '13% charge left' flashed up on the screen. Enough for a quick call. She flicked through her contacts. She cried harder as she realised just how alone she was since her dad had died. She could call Tommy, but she didn't want him to know. He would never want her after this. Her thoughts were jumbled. The only people she could call were Gail and Rita, and as lovely as they were, they wouldn't want to be involved in this, she was sure of it. Her head hurt. There was something sticky on the side of her face. She reached to touch the back of her head, she felt it was wet. Blood.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Slightly longer, not to sure I like this chapter but hey ho:/ as always, R&R - updated this chapter, not sure why it was formatted differently but all sorted now.**

She knew he had carried on through the alley, so, picking up her bag; she went back the way she came, she was scared that he was still waiting for her. Coming out by the Rovers, she cried at how close she was. Two minutes, that's how far away she was. Two flaming minutes. If she had just managed to get away, she could have run to safety. Then he wouldn't have hurt her, and she wouldn't be ruined.  
She broke down at this thought, sobbing loudly, clutching her shirt closer to her.

Mustering the last shred of courage she had, she banged on the door of the pub. When she got no reply she started to panic again, sobbing loudly until she remembered the spare key that she had been given that evening, in case the first set were misplaced. She had been honoured that Stella trusted her with them, especially after the incident with Sunita and the fire, although Tina wasn't completely convinced. She walked around to the back door cautiously, remembering what he said about being round corners and behind doors.

She rooted through her bag before coming across a set of keys. Her hands were shaking so much that she dropped them; her eyes went blurry from her tears. She thought she heard someone behind her, causing her to panic. Her tears streamed more profusely than ever, her breathing doubled in pace and her body started shaking so much that her legs nearly buckled beneath her. She placed a hand on her irrationally beating heart, trying desperately to calm down so that she could unlock the door. Feeling herself go numb again, she slid the key into the lock.  
She slammed the door quickly, before sliding down, feeling the pain all over her body more than ever. She sat there and sobbed, remembering his hands all over her, his breath against her face, him _inside_ her.

Stella awoke from her slumber as she heard the door downstairs slam. She wished Karl was with her, but she had insisted that he stay over at a mate's after a 'lad's night out'. She hadn't wanted him returning in a drunken state. Silently, she slipped out of her bedroom, and, dodging the creaky floorboard, she tiptoed to the top of the stairs. Peering into the darkness, she heard someone crying, and, thinking that it may be Leanne, or Eva, she walked down towards them.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry, my internet went down, still a bit iffy at the moment though. Longer chapter and all reviews are really appreciated. Won't be updating everyday anymore, but I'll try and upload twice a week. **

At the sound of someone approaching, she froze. She knew it was Stella. She knew that she wasn't in danger, yet she still curled away, frozen against the door.  
'Tina?'  
The lights flickered on at that moment, near blinding her.  
'What are you do - Tina? Tina are you alright love? What 'appened?'  
'I'm sor-sorry. I, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just, I just didn't know where else to go. I didn't, want to, to be by meself.' She stuttered  
'Hey, your shaking.' As Stella reached out towards her, she flinched away, wincing at the pain. Shuffling her legs she looked up when she heard a gasp from above her.  
'Tina! Love, I need you to tell me what happened to you?' Stella crouched down, and gently placed her hand on Tina's arm, feeling her flinch again. She noticed the muddy stains on Tina's shirt, and the fact that she had to hold her shirt together.  
'He, he raped me. He raped me.'  
Stella sucked in a deep breath, 'Oh love, come here.' She held her arms out, knowing that Tina had to make the first move.  
Tina hesitated, before hugging her, feeling Stella's hand stroking the back of her head gently. 'Tina, your head! It's bleeding. We need to get you to the hospital.' Gently, she helped Tina stand and maneuvered her into the back room of the Rovers towards the sofa. 'Here, sit down love. Now, do you want to call the police?' Stella asked, praying that Tina would say yes. She knew from experience that not telling anyone was a bad idea.  
Tina nodded, her mind elsewhere.  
'I'll be back in a minute love, ok?' Stella walked towards the phone and dialed 999. 'Hiya, um police please. Yeah, my friend was, well, she was raped,' the word left a foul taste in her mouth, 'uh the Rovers Return Inn, Coronation Street. Ok, thank you.' Stella peeked back at Tina, sighing as she looked at the bruises on her wrists, the scrapes on her legs and face, but more so at the fact that her young employee, and friend, was staring into space not registering anything around her. 'The police are on their way love. Hang on in there.'

'Tina? I'm Officer Lara Knight. I'm a nightingale trained Officer, and that means I deal specifically with crimes involving rape and sexual assault. Now I'm going to ask you a few questions ok?'  
Tina nodded slowly, turning to face the officer. Stella sat behind Tina holding her hand gently.  
'Ok, so I need you to tell me what happened. Do you know what time you were raped?'  
Flinching at that word, Tina spoke, 'it was just after midnight.' She croaked out, her throat dry.  
'And do you know who assaulted you? Did you see his face?'  
'No. He was, he was wearing a ski mask, but,' she faltered, unsure if she should continue. The officer nodded encouragingly, 'go on Tina, you doing well.'  
'I'm not sure, but, I think I recognised his voice. I think he was a new punter from the bar.'  
A knock at the door caused her to jump, shrinking back into Stella, who gently reassured her.  
Two more police officers entered, they spoke in a hushed voice to the officer.  
'Ok Tina, we need to know where the rape took place.'  
She took a deep breath to calm herself, 'it was in the alley, about two minutes walk.'  
'Ok. Thank you Tina. We need to get you to the hospital now, for a rape kit. Ready?'  
She walked with Stella towards a flashing police car, noticing a few heads peering out from behind the net curtains. In the darkness, he watched, before slipping silently away.

Tina sat numbly in a special room at the hospital. She was wearing clothes Stella had given her, slightly too big for her, but she barely noticed. She had submitted to a rape kit. Endured all that it entailed, and now, she just wanted to get the questioning over and done with.  
'Tina, I don't think it's a good idea to do it now. You tired, and not in the right mental state. The questions will be tough.'  
'I want to do it now.'  
The rape counsellor gave in, 'ok, I'll be back in a minute.'  
They drove to the police station, and she was taken to an interview room, not noticing anything or anyone on the way.  
'I'm detective Benson; I'll be the leading detective on your case. Are you ready?'  
Tina nodded.  
'Ok, can you tell me what happened prior to the rape?'  
Tina told her about the argument with Tommy, how she went out looking for him. Why she went through the alley and what happened in the alley. She stopped, swallowing the lump in her throat, choking back the tears.  
'He held me up against the wall. Told me he would kill me if I made a noise. He started kissing me, and, touching me, then,' tears streamed down her face, the counsellor nodded reassuringly, 'then he raped me.'  
Another half hour went by before the detective felt she had enough answers to work with. 'Thank you, we'll be in touch.'


	6. Chapter 6

They stopped off at Tina's flat; Stella insisted that she stay at the Rovers for as long as she needed, so they had to pack a bag for her.  
By the time Tina was settled at the Rovers, it was about 7 in the morning. She was shattered. 'Is there anyone you want me to call? Tommy maybe?'

'Tommy? Oh god! No he can't know, I don't want him to know! Please, you can't tell him!' She started to panic; she didn't want anyone to know what happened, let alone Tommy.  
'Ok, ok shh, it's ok I won't tell anyone don't worry.' Stella reassured her, 'try and rest now, I'll be at the bar if you need me, and Sean will be covering you shift today, ok?'  
Tina nodded, closing her eyes and rolling over. Stella tucked her in, looking at her sadly, banishing the memories that were trying to overtake her. Sighing, she left to get the bar ready for the first punters of the day.

'Sean please? Just a couple of hours this evening? You know what, I've had a really bad night, I only got back at 7, having had little to no sleep because,' she took a deep breath, it wasn't for her to say what happened, 'just, because I was needed so don't go giving me grief about short notice. Yes, it'll be double pay. Don't push it.' She slammed the handset down. Upstairs, Tina thrashed about, relieving the attack, remembering every little detail. She woke up, with a thin sheen of sweat all over her body, feeling nauseous. She ran to the bathroom and threw up, over and over again. Every time she stopped, another memory would flash before her eyes causing her to throw up again. Finally she stopped. She ran her head under the sink, rinsing her mouth out. She couldn't go back to sleep, so, slowly she made her way back downstairs, wincing slightly with each step. She saw her phone on the table, Stella had charged it for her. She switched it on, seeing a couple of missed calls. She listened to her voicemails.  
'Hiya love, jus' t'check, are you still coming int' cover for Norris? Only I don't really want t'ask Mary. Hopefully I'll see you at two. T'rah love.'  
She sighed. She had an hour to make her mind up, and still give Rita a chance to ask Mary. She listened to the next one, silently crying.  
'T? You know I didn't mean what I said. I was just being stupid. I, I love you T.'  
Her thumb hovered over the call button. Stella opened the door and she hastily shoved her phone in her pocket. 'Hey, love you ok?' Stella asked, noticing the tears still making tracks down Tina's face. She scrubbed them off. 'Yeh. I'm fine. Listen, thank you for, well for everything -'  
'Hey love, don't you worry about it, you just concentrate on getting better hmmm.'  
'I'm going to go see Rita today, try to get back to normal.'  
'Only if your sure love.'  
Tina surprised Stella, as well as herself, by reaching out and hugging her. Stella, momentarily shocked, froze before hugging her back, gently rubbing the small of the young barmaid's back. Carefully pulling away, she whispered that she had to get back to the bar. As Stella turned to leave, she smiled; perhaps Tina was stronger than they both thought.

**A/N: Slightly discouraged by the lack of reviews, if I don't get anymore, I probably won't continue with this :L **


	7. Chapter 7

As the clock struck two, Tina entered The Kabin. She had tried to cover up all the bruises, but decided against it. They were her war wounds, and she wasn't going to let the man who hurt her win by hiding them away. 'Hiya Rita.' She tried to sound as normal as possible, but knew she had failed when Rita turned abruptly, concern filling her eyes. 'Tina? What happened?' Tina was fed with the same question being asked over and over. Stella, the officer, the detective, the counselor. All of them. But she knew it wasn't Rita's fault, she was just worried. She tried to brush it off, not wanting to relive the whole ordeal again. 'I'm fine, it's nothing.' But the tears were already flowing, and showed no sign of ceasing. 'I'm sorry, I'm being daft,' she choked out.

'Hey lovey, come 'ere,' and she pulled her into yet another hug. 'Why don't we finish this shift, and then Norris and Mary can take the next shift and we can talk in my flat, eh?'

'Ok.' Tina went into the back room to splash water on her face and dry away the tears. She came back in with a two mugs of tea and settled in behind the counter. She was silently grateful that it was a quiet time of day as she really couldn't deal with any more questions. 'Maybe this why people cover up their bruises,' she thought, 'not because they're ashamed, but because they can't deal with all the looks and stares and questions.' Of course, just as she was thinking this, Stella walked in, shocked to see Tina working. Rita obviously noticed this, however thought it was because she was looking at the bruises all over Tina's face. 'Don't worry, she's only covering for me,' she told her, telling her to stop staring, trying to make light of a situation. Tina noticed this, and decided to speak out. 'It's ok Rita, Stella knows what happened, she stayed with me while I was...' But she stopped as Tommy came in. She ducked behind the counter, swallowing the cry of pain before it could escape. 'Have either of you seen Tina? She's not in her flat. We had a, a really bad argument, and I feel so guilty about it now.'  
Tina shook her head furiously, and Rita told Tommy that she hadn't seen her. Again, she got the wrong end of the stick, and immediately asked Tina if he had done that to her. 'What? No! Tommy would never hurt me!' She shouted back, angry that Rita would even think of something like that. Seeing the hurt on her face she took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry Rita, I didn't mean to yell at you, sorry.' She mumbled. The rest of the shift went quickly after that. When Norris and Mary arrived Tina could see their brains whirring, mouths drooling at the chance of gossip. 'What did I miss?' Almost disappointed Norris spoke to Rita, nodding his head at Tina. Well, it's a different reaction to everyone else so far, Tina thought miserably. 'That's none of your business, go on, get behind that counter. Me and Tina are going upstairs to talk, and we don't want anyone bothering us alright? Good.'  
And with that, they both walked upstairs, Tina mustering up any courage she may have so she could answer Rita properly, she was her friend and deserved the truth.

'Hey, now what's wrong hmm?'  
Tina wiped a stray tear away, needing to be strong. 'Last night, me and Tommy had an argument. I told him we were done, and I made him leave but, I didn't mean it so I went to see if I could catch up to him. I thought there was someone watching me but I just shrugged it off, thought I was being silly. And then, I was only a couple of minutes into the alley, and, someone grabbed me. They put their hand over my mouth and pushed me against the wall.' She sniffed, gratefully accepting a tissue. 'He held my wrists down,' she showed the reddy-purple marks that covered her wrists, ignoring the small gasp that Rita emitted. 'He put his hands all over me, and then he, he told me, to, to beg, and I did, I begged him not to hurt me but it wasn't good enough, I wasn't good enough. I was so stupid, what was I even thinking going down the alley alone, at night,' She faltered, mustering up all the strength she had before continuing, 'he raped me.' she burst into tears, curling up on the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. Those three words broke Rita's heart. 'Oh love, I'm so sorry. Come here.' They hugged for a while, before Rita told her that she needed to tell Tommy, that it wasn't fair on him. Tina knew she was right, but was scared, she didn't know how he would react. She thought she was ruined, and that he wouldn't want her anymore. They chatted for a little while longer, avoiding the prior topic, before Tina knew she couldn't stall anymore. She had to tell Tommy.


End file.
